Wassaja Oidag: A Place of Healing & Community
A Vision for Learning and Healing
Wassaja Oidag (The Giving Place) is a gathering place where students, elders, and knowledge keepers come together to learn, share wisdom, and engage in learning and healing practices. The garden is aligned with the Wassaja Center’s mission to support Indigenous families in healing the body, mind, spirit, and environment through a culturally appropriate, holistic approach.
We are pleased to share that the Wassaja Oidag (A Place of Healing) project successfully transformed an underutilized space adjacent to the Wassaja Center into a thriving Indigenous healing, medicinal, food, and pollinator garden rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, sustainability, and community wellness. During the January–June 2026 project period, the initiative engaged 49 participants, contributed 194 volunteer hours, established key garden infrastructure, and created a living classroom that supports Indigenous food sovereignty, land stewardship, student leadership, and community healing. See attached garden map.
The project exceeded its goals by creating a permanent gathering and learning space where students, faculty, staff, and community members can reconnect with the land, strengthen cultural knowledge, and build relationships through shared stewardship. Moving forward, Wassaja Oidag will continue to serve as an Indigenous-centered sustainability and healing space, with plans to expand educational programming, community engagement, and traditional plant cultivation for future generations.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Project Manager Lupe Valenzuela for their leadership and dedication in bringing this vision to life; to student leaders Kayla Johnson and Sariaka Razermera for their hard work, creativity, and commitment to Indigenous land stewardship; to Annette Garcia for her ongoing support and coordination; and to the many volunteers, partners, Tribal community members, students, faculty, and friends whose collective efforts helped make Wassaja Oidag a place of healing, learning, and community. This project reflects the power of coming together in a good way to honor our responsibilities to the land and to one another.
Climate Resilient & Sustainable Infrastructure
- Water harvesting & efficient irrigation system integrated into the garden’s design.
- Shade structures & native trees to protect plants and create comfortable gathering spaces.
- Monsoon-adapted drainage solutions to manage flooding.
Sacred & Healing Spaces
- Central gathering circle for programming, storytelling, and ceremony.
- Growing the desert medicinal plant garden & herbal medicine garden for healing practices.
Accessibility & Community Engagement
- Shaded, ADA-accessible study space with electricity for students and programming.
- Raised garden beds & seating areas to support elders and those with mobility needs.
2026 Haury Program Award – Environment Resilience Faculty Research Award
Wassaja Carlos Montenzuma Center for Native American Health Receives $25,000 - Haury Bridge Funding FY’26
This is one-time, invitation only grant program is to ensure the continuation of research projects experiencing temporary disruptions in funding and performing research related to water, food or energy. The funds come from the Indigenous Resilience Initiative.
Since 2020, the Haury Program has been focusing on advancing Indigenous resilience, especially environmental resilience and water work, by investing in Indigenous resilience research, education and outreach, supporting academic pathways, and fostering community collaborations and partnerships.
Wassaja Oidag Student Project
The project will provide needed infrastructure to support future program needs in the space west of the Wassaja Center building (e.g.: developing a garden space for traditional foods and medicines). This mini-grant offers basic infrastructure, which is a crucial step to facilitate our existing programming and empower the community to focus on nurturing the garden and traditions. The mini-grant allows us to achieve the critical first step in a series of projects leading to collaborative efforts with local Tribes to enrich the student experience with teaching and community traditions. This project is intended to be the functional testing for larger initiatives with local Tribes and on Tribal lands/communities.
The Wassaja Oidag project will enhance student engagement and work together with local Tribes to gain a wealth of knowledge not taught in conventional classrooms. This learning platform will increase environmental quality both on and off campus, strengthen community well-being, and advance a culture of sustainability off and on campus. Together, these partners share a vision of Indigenous healing, environmental stewardship, and cultural continuity.
The rationale for this project builds upon existing Wassaja Center initiatives that integrate health, culture, spirituality, and environment as interdependent dimensions of Indigenous well-being. In doing so, the collaboration exemplifies how cross-institutional partnerships can amplify Indigenous-led solutions, scale proven initiatives, and ensure that the work remains Tribal-driven, culturally legitimate, and sustainably designed to serve future generations.